Surgical extension appliance



Feb. 4, 1941. H. H. LEITER SURGICAL EXTENSION APPLIANCE Filed Oct. 17, 1958 INVENTOR. M

9% ZQW'ML/ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to surgical extension appliances suitable for Buck's extension treatment of injured legs, and adapted to be mounted upon the foot-frame of a bed and used in conjunction with 21. Thomas splint.

An object of the invention is to provide a mount that is detachable secured to a bedframe or ordinary structure, and having in connection therewith an adjustable pulley supporting frame for the accommodation of a weighted cable such as is ordinarily used for applying and maintaining constant extension to a fractured leg of a patient during convalescence.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the mount that it automatically clamps firmly in proper position upon the bedframe when applied thereto thus .to obviate rotation of the mount, in a similar manner in some respects to the Surgical extension attachment set forth in Patent No. 1,898,781, issued to me February 21, 1933.

And a further object of the invention is to provide means on the mount for clasping the distal end portion of a Thomas splint, when used therewith, for holding the same in adjusted position relative to the mount and prevent rotation thereof upon the longitudinal axis of an injured leg secured in the splint.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of a preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of an 5 ordinary hospital bed with a patient lying thereon and with the invention arranged in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mount including the adjustable pulley supporting frame in connection therewith; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a patient with the splint applied to show the character of the injury to be remedied by the invention.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a mount preferably formed of a bent rod made of spring metal, having right and left hand side parts I and 2 spaced apart and disposed in parallel relation with each other. Each side part is shaped to provide a hook 3 and pendant loop 4 adapted to be positioned so as to extend over and clamp upon the top rail 5 of the footframe 6 of the bed 1. Each loop has an upwardly disposed extension 8 provided with a horizontal arm 9 that terminates with a backturned hook ID. The arms 9 lie side by side against each other and are adapted to have limited longitudinal relative movement when force is applied in opposite directions to the hooks toward or from each other. 5 This relative movement is permitted by the spring tendency of the rods, and thus the terminal hooks are spaced variable distances apart more or less from each other under restraint of spring resistance. Each side part has a pendant portion ll 10 provided with a horizontal extension 12 that abuts the end of the corresponding extension l2 of the other end part so that said extensions are alined, said pendant portions and extensions thereof forming a base for the mount.

The end parts are connected together by a cross-bar [3 the respective ends of which are connected rigidly with the corresponding pendant portions H, and said cross-bar has a forwardly extending bracket M having on its outer end a disc 15 that is serrated on one of its lateral faces. An adjustable frame I6 is provided which also has a serrated disc I! at one end thereof that has locking engagement with the disc I5 on the bracket M in adjusted positions relative thereto, there being provided a bolt 18 that extends through said discs and has clamping relation therewith upon tightening of a thumb-nut I9 on said bolt. The frame l6 has mounted therein pulleys 202l having free rotative movement and by manipulation of the thumb-nut l9 and the frame I6 said pulleys are adjustably secured at suitable elevations as required.

The spring rods of which the mount is formed preferably are covered with rubber tubing or other padding of suitable character so that when the mount is positioned on the foot-frame of the bed with the hook portions 3 extending over the .top rail 5, and the base extensions l2 bearing against the foot-frame fillers 22, marring of the bed structure is obviated, and also, because of resilience of the rubber tube covering of the hook portions 3, relative movement between the mount and foot-frame is circumvented.

.In Fig. 1 is shown a Thomas splint having a thigh-ring 23 from which extend side rods 24, the distal ends of which are united in the usual manner. When the splint is applied to the injured limb 25 the ring is disposed around the proximal portion of the leg and .the distal ends of the side rods are engaged in the corresponding backturned hooks ID on the mount where they are held firmly by compression of the cushion tubing thereon as well as the reactionary spring force exerted by the end members of the mount. By this arrangement the splint has supported and longitudinal adjustable relation with respect to the mount. The injured limb is suspended from the side rods in the usual manner by sling straps 26 attached thereto which are adjusted so the injured leg is sustained at the desired angle of elevation.

Traction is applied to the injured leg through the medium of an ankle strap 27 attached thereto and an ordinary spreader 28 connected with the ankle strap which has connection by a coupling 29 with a cable 30 that is trained over the pulley 29 and connected with a suspended weight 3| which swings clear from the foot-frame of the bed and the floor. Thus is maintained constant pull upon the injured limb.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, that portion of the cable 30 extending between the pulley 20 and the ankle strap, passes above the mount and tends to sustain the long axis of the injured leg upon an incline toward the distal end thereof. However, by adjustment of the pulley frame IS, the pulleys may be lowered to an extent that will permit the cable to be strung through the base loop of the mount beneath the top rail of the bedfrarne, under the pulley 20 and over the pulley 2|, so that by proper adjustment of the slings 26 the injured leg may be lowered suitably and sustained in such position while traction is induced by the weight. In this manner the injured limb may be positioned and sustained in selected angles of elevation While traction is applied thereto, which in some instances is advantageous.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may readily be made by exercise of engineering skill without departure from. the spirit or scope of the invention, and the following claims are intended to be inclusive of such variations.

Also, the reference made to the Thomas splint is intended as exemplary of the general type of splint with which the present invention is in-' tended for use rather than the particular splint herein set forth.

What I claim is:

1. A surgical appliance for applying and maintaining traction to an injured leg of a patient, said appliance consisting of a spring metal mount having right and left hand side parts spaced apart from each other, each side part being shaped to provide a hook and pendant loop provided with an upwardly disposed extension which has at its upper end a horizontal arm that terminates with a backturned hook, said arms lying side by side against each other and adapted to have limited longitudinal relative movement when force is applied thereto in opposite directions, said side parts having pendant portions provided with corresponding alined horizontal extensions, a cross-bar attached to said side parts provided with a bracket having thereon an adjustable frame provided with a pulley, a weighted cable connected with said injured leg and supported by said pulley, and a resilient covering on said side parts whereby the mount is gripped in place upon the bed and the side rods of a splint when connected in said backturned hooks.

2. A mount attachable to the foot-frame of a bed for support of a surgical splint and weighted cable attached to an injured leg secured between the side rods of said splint, said mount being formed of spring metal shaped to have side members spaced apart and provided with hook portions for connection with the top rail of said footframe. and having overlapping arms that terminate respectively with inturned hooks oppositely disposed adapted to receive and hold said rods when said splint is in place, said mount having pendant portions provided with extensions bearing against the fillers of said foot-frame when the mount is in place, a cross-bar connecting said side parts provided with a bracket having thereon an adjustable member including a pulley for support of a weighted cable connected with said injured leg, and a resilient covering on said parts whereby the mount is gripped in connection with said top rail and the side rods of said splint when said mount and splint are in operative position.

3. A surgical traction appliance consisting of a splint, a mount provided with spring loops adapted to extend over and clamp upon the foot frame of a bed and having spring extensions oppositely disposed terminating respectively with hooks engageable with the side rods of said splint wherefore to support the splint movably on said mount, said mount having an adjustable supported pulley thereon, and means including a weighted cable trained over said pulley and a connection attachable to a patients limb positioned in said splint.

HARRY HERSCHEL LEITER. 

